Giappo Franca Kyoto

An imaginative and beautiful small hotel convenient to Kyoto University. The manga collection and an exhibition of Hiroshige were impressive.

Silvia was so friendly at check-in. We felt welcomed right away. The area was very quiet (great for sleeping at night) but only two streets away from restaurants and stores and a ten minute walk from Gion and Pontocho Alley. There are so many shrines and temples with two minutes of the hotel. There is tons of manga and free tea in the lobby. Hotel was new when we booked and there weren’t a lot of ratings. We are glad we took a risk on this one as it definitely paid off.

Excellent location within a peaceful neighborhood Short walking distance from the subway, bus stop and central neighborhoods of Gion / Downtown / KiyomizuVery friendly staff, speaks English very wellVery nice Japanese-modern design, free water and tea, great manga library, laundryYou can rent kimonos for a fraction of the price compared to elsewhereRooms are very clean, you have everything you need

I personally think this hotel is on the more expensive side for what you get. The walls are PAPER THIN. I highly recommend not staying here if you are a family with young children or light sleeper! I could hear people thumping around upstairs and on the same floor as me loud and clear. I could even hear people unzipping their suitcases. While this isn’t too far from the main area (around 15/20 minute walk), I couldn’t find many dinner options around so if you don’t mind walking a little further then this is a fine option. The hotel is beautiful and well looked after. The bed is larger than most I have slept in in Japan. The lobby area is stunning and a great place to sit and relax or have a game. The staff are incredibly nice aswell. The vibes here felt a bit like a fancy hostel.

Friendly staff, well located, kids friendly.

The room could be slightly bigger.

Its a mix between a hostel and a hotel so it has to be your thing, we had the traditional room which was very comfortable, the downstairs area is nice to relax in (they have good tea!) and the exhibition they had was beautiful. But the staff was the best! super friendly and helpful!! and the location was also very good.

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This hotel invested a lot in its vibe and ambiance. The hotel is manga-themed, with a library and retro video games in the lobby. They also have a zen garden and art gallery. While working remotely, I enjoyed having a working space and hot tea included in the lobby. The hotel has a coin-based laundry room with dryers and the staff were kind and helpful.

The rooms were small, but this is typical for Japan unless you want to pay $$$.

Location n type of room

No clean up service policy

Amazing stuff, really nice holl and comfortable bed.

Our room, double economy, was really small - opening a middle size luggage was impossible.

The staff and location

The space had a weird smell to it (like feet?), the bathroom was so small, the traditional Japanese bedding was uncomfortable, and the balcony was just a stool placed in some rocks.

Good location, tucked away in a quiet spot. Very welcoming and lovely staff! Cool vibe to the place, and very clean throughout.

- staff was very nice and helpful- rooms are modern, look great

- thin walls, you can hear every small noise from other guests, if someone’s a light sleeper it can be disturbing - water temperature and pressure can change a lot really quick - hair on our bed and sheets- lack of hangers and packing space

Picked this because of the good reviews and the great price. Also the location, which was about six minutes from Sanjo (?) train station. In a neighborhood. Was fairly convenient to get to the train. Lobby area has lots of comic books and retro video games. Fun atmosphere. The staff were nice. Two of the 3 staff I spoke to could not communicate in English (like to give restaurant recommendations, although they tried and had a book with some printed recommendations). Not a problem but FYI. Great water pressure in the shower. Of all of this, I liked the price the best. I would not have stayed here for any reason other than the low price. But it was clean and new.

The beds were very uncomfortably hard. Hardest of any hotel I was in in Japan. The room is tiny and it was difficult to find a surface to put two suitcases (besides the floor). If you have a lot of luggage it will be a problem. The bathroom was also tiny with the bowl of the sink extending into the tub.

Like other reviews have shared, the staff were amazing. They were all really friendly and helpful. Sound proofing in the rooms were great. We had the largest room with a loft area for the kids which can fit up to three people! It was nice to have space traveling as a family of 4 in Japan. There was a little sofa lounge area in the room inbetween our bed and the kids so that was really nice. Also provided space for our suitcases as well. You truly get your money's worth here.

The only downside, which is very minor is that the bathroom is fairly small which is to be expected in Japan. Also there were only two washers and dryers at the hotel. If both are being used you'll need to wait for awhile.

The staff was just AMAZING! Super helpful, super welcoming. Location was perfect. So close to public transportation and many must see places.

Eco rooms are really small. It’s okey for 1-2 days but if you are planning to stay longer, choose bigger rooms.

The location and the price were the main positives. The concept of the hotel was cool and unique.

I was really looking forward to our stay here and the uniqueness of the hotel accommodation. The hotel is fairly new and looked really cool in terms of the manga library and the swing in the room. In the end, this was our least favourite accommodation from all of the places we stayed during our trip. We were given hardly any information about the facilities or area on arrival apart from being shown a one page sheet in English as the staff member that checked us in only spoke Japanese, so we couldn't really ask any questions.The uniqueness of the swing room became less exciting because the metal chain kept banging when using it and the beds on the mezzanine area which had very low ceilings weren't made up so an adult needed to crawl there to make the beds up on arrival, which wasn't ideal. Our 'kids' who are 11 and 14 and couldn't stand up either. The bathroom was very small and the toilet had an issue initially but this was quickly fixed once we told the staff about it. The toilet was in the tiny bathroom which was challenging given there were four of us.There was a kettle and cups in the room but nothing else. The absence of any plates, cutlery, tea/coffee, microwave and washing machine were negatives. There was a microwave to heat food in the reception area. Every other place we stayed in had these and in hindsight, we should have booked somewhere that was more self-contained as this worked much better for us. The air conditioner above the main bed made bubbling and ticking noises which meant that we had to turn them off to sleep as they were too noisy. We were told that the intermittent bubbling noise was normal. The constant ticking noise was more disturbing.

The property is wonderful! We had a great time reading comics, playing retro nintendo games using the coffee machine (they have good coffee, chocolate & matcha). They also have water downstairs which was great for us! The location is pretty good, a few convenience store nearby, and the train station us about 10 minutes walk. Great location if you’re going to the miyako messe for exhibitions. Shoutout to Yasmina, Slyvia & Maiko who have been super helpful!

Staff: Were very welcoming and communicative.Location: Walking distance to Gion, Kawaramachi and other attractive areas.Style: We stayed in Japanese style room. It was good size, beds were comfortable.Lobby: There were mangas in Japanese and English that you can enjoy at the lobby. Also a vintage Nintando is available for fun!Saniteryware: Optionally toothbrush, shower itemsare provided. Also our there were high quality shampoos and soaps in the room.

Room: Although the room has some space, the floor is covered by a traditional material, where you shouldn't place heavy things like suitcase. However, there is literally nowhere else you can unpack your things.Lighting: Wasn't a good design. They were too bright, which wasn't pleasing at night.

Friendly and helpful English speaking staff.Our Mezzanine room with swing appeared new, clean and relatively spacious.Beds and futons were comfortable.Furnishings and interior decorating were lovely.Two air cons in the room were helpful even during Autumn.(Coin operated) washing machine and dryer facilities was useful.Complimentary water and umbrellas for borrowing in the foyer was so convenient.Location in a quiet and safe area.Convenient 6 to 10 minute walk to three bus stops on Sanjo Dori, Higashioji Dori and Kawabata Dori which can take you to many locations.Sanjo Keihan Station stairwell exit is 5 minutes away and connected to the larger Sanjo Station.There’s a lovely but budget friendly family-run udon restaurant on Sanjo Street called Miyako which we hoped to visit for a 2nd time on a Sunday night but it was sadly closed.

The location is pretty good for its price but one just needs to find the pockets of cheaper eateries around the area. Furukawacho Shopping Street (6-10 minute walk) is worthwhile checking for dining options, otherwise it seems that the main food strip is 10 - 15 minute walk either westward along Sanjo Dori past the Kamo River (broader price range) or southward along Hanamikoji Dori (more pricey).

The staff are amazing, incredibly helpful and kind beyond belief. The location is great and the room has anything you would need for a short stay.

Nothing. 10/10!